Workers' Compensation for Supervisors

Workers’ Compensation benefits are available to any employee of UWF (full-time, part-time, faculty, staff, OPS, student employees, and volunteers of record). Workers' Compensation does not cover personal medical issues but covers injuries that occur in the course and scope of work.

Reporting Injuries

All work-related injuries/illnesses should be reported immediately. If an employee mentions they have hurt themselves while performing work, as the supervisor, you should advise that they complete a Report of Injury‌ form and submit it to Human Resources as soon as possible after the injury (Fax: 850-857-6030). Failure to report an injury/illness may result in employee’s forfeiture of rights available from workers' compensation.

The purpose of Workers' Compensation is to ensure lost wages and medical benefits to injured workers. In UWF’s case, the state has contracted with AmeriSys to provide medical benefits and the Department of Risk Management administers lost wages.

There are a variety of benefits available to UWF employees through Workers' Compensation when an injury has occurred. Some of these benefits, administered through AmeriSys, are:

Doctor/specialist visits

Hospitalization

Physical therapy

Prescription medication

Prostheses

Travel expenses to and from authorized providers or pharmacies

Lost Wages/Compensation administered by the Division of Risk Management

In most cases, wage-replacement benefits equal 2/3 of the employee’s pre-injury regular weekly wage. Lost wages begins on 8th day after the Workers' Compensation physician has removed the employee from work or the department is unable to accommodate work restrictions.

Administrative Leave

UWF offers 40 hours of administrative leave, per injury, for employees who normally accrue leave, to use for absence or appointments associated with their work related injuries. For additional information you can review University Policy 18.00 - Hours of Work and Benefits (Section 5(f)(1)). Supervisors of injured employees are responsible for the tracking of all administrative leave used in relation to the injury.

Administrative Leave:

Not available for OPS employees

Maximum of 40 hours for each injury

May be used for Workers' Comp physician appointments, physical therapy, etc.

May be used if Workers' Comp physician removes employee from work totally

Employee should note “WC” in timesheet comments section

Administrative Leave may not be used when:

WC physician releases employee to work temporary alternate duty, and

UWF accommodates the work restrictions, and

Employee misses work for their own personal reasons in spite of UWF’s ability to accommodate work restrictions

After an employee exhausts the 40 hours, the employee should use available sick leave, annual leave, or leave without pay for future Workers' Compensation absences. Please follow all departmental procedures such as requesting annual leave 24 hours on advance.

Supervisors should discuss injuries with employees and be prepared to answer questions on the employee’s description of the accident, whether the employee violated a safety policy or procedure when the incident occurred, and if the incident requires further investigation.

Supervisors are responsible for assuring employees are trained in safety rules and procedures and reviewing work incidents to determine the cause and take preventive measures to avoid future incidents. Employees are responsible for making suggestions to supervisors on how to improve workplace safety and prevent accidents.

After Incidents

Speak with the employee and ask:

What were you doing when the incident occurred?

How were you injured?

Was anyone else present?

How could the incident have been prevented?

Speak with others who witnessed the incident

Inspect the location of the incident and the equipment the employee was using

Determine whether the incident could have logically occurred as the employee said it did